Game achievements system

• US 7,887,419 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Curley, Vincent H., Jen, James His-Kai, Chen, Ling Tony, Lamb, Steven D., Macauley, James David, Bortnik, Michal
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski; Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US11/005,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20060122716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,261 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/40, 700/91, 700/92
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00

Abstract

Systems and method for providing a game achievements system where players are rewarded with game achievements based on mastering certain in-game facets of the games they play. Each game achievement may be conveyed in a profile as a badge or trophy, title, description, date, etc. Players may also accumulate points based on game achievements. A display interface may be made available such that a player may see his achievements and total points, as well as those of others.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a console comprising a central processing unit (CPU), the method comprising steps of:

defining a system achievement, wherein the system achievement is achievable via game play in both a first game and a second game associated with a gaming environment, and a predetermined number of system achievement points are awarded for the system achievement;

receiving a definition of a first in-game achievement for completing a goal in the first game and a second in-game achievement for achieving a goal in the second game, wherein the first in-game achievement is not achievable via game play of the second game and the second in-game achievement is not achievable via game play of the first game, the first in-game achievement being assigned a first number of in-game achievement points and the second in-game achievement being assigned a second, different number of in-game achievement points;

receiving a first maximum number of gamer points achievable for the first game, the first maximum number of gamer points comprising the system achievement points for the first game and the first in-game achievement points for the first game;

receiving a second maximum number of gamer points achievable for the second game, the second maximum number of gamer points comprising the system achievement points for the second game and the second in-game achievement points for the second game, wherein the second maximum number of gamer points is different than the first maximum number of gamer points;

tracking player activity to capture occurrences of the system achievement and the first in-game achievement during the first game, and occurrences of the system achievement and the second in-game achievement during the second game, wherein the tracking is performed at least in part by the console;

aggregating the captured occurrences into a profile associated with a user;

awarding system achievement points and in-game achievement points for the captured occurrences to the profile, up to the first maximum number for the first game and the second maximum number for the second game; and

publishing said profile, wherein the profile is accessible via a user interface of a networked computer system, further wherein the user interface executes independently from the first game or the second game,

wherein the number of system achievement points awarded for the first game equals the number of system achievement points awarded for the second game,

the number of system achievement points awarded for the first game comprises a different proportion of the first maximum number of gamer points than the number of system achievement points awarded for the second game comprises of the second maximum number of gamer points, and

at least one of the steps is performed by the CPU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a first maximum number of in-game achievement points is set as a weighted valued based on the first maximum number of gamer points achievable for the first game.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first maximum number of in-game achievement points is determined in accordance with a level of game difficulty of the first game.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the number of system achievement points awarded for the system achievement is fixed for a plurality of games including at least the first game, the second game, and a third game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile includes information that identifies the number of points awarded to the profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said profile includes at least one of a trophy, title, description, date, screen snapshot and media captured when the user achieved the first in-game achievement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first in-game achievement is achievable by the user reaching a game condition of the first game, the game condition being different from winning the first game.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system achievement is achievable in the first game by the user reaching a game condition of the first game, the game condition being different from winning the first game.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first in-game achievement is achievable by the user reaching a game condition of the first game, the game condition not being associated with a score of the user for the first game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the system achievement is achievable in the first game by the user reaching a game condition of the first game, the game condition not being associated with a score of the user for the first game.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the system achievement is one of a plurality of system achievements achievable via game play in both the first game and the second game, the plurality of system achievements including:

first sign-in to a title associated with the first game or the second game;

completing a first session within the first game or the second game;

completing a first hour of the first game or the second game;

completing 100 sessions with the first game or the second game;

completing 10 hours of the first game or the second game; and

completing the first game or the second game.

12. A computer readable storage device having stored thereon computer executable instructions for providing a game achievements system in a gaming environment, said instructions comprising steps for:

defining system achievements, wherein each of the system achievements is achievable via game play in each of a plurality of system achievement eligible games associated with the gaming environment, and wherein each individual system achievement is associated with a predetermined number of system achievement points comprising a portion of a maximum number of points awardable by a corresponding individual system achievement eligible game, and the predetermined number of system achievement points comprises different proportions of the maximum number of points awardable for at least two of the system achievement eligible games;

receiving definitions of predetermined in-game achievements for at least a first game of the plurality of system achievement eligible games and a second game of the plurality of system achievement eligible games, in-game achievements being obtained by completing an in-game goal and the in-game achievement being associated with text describing the achievement and an image, wherein the in-game achievements associated with the first game are not achievable via game play of the second game, each of the in-game achievements of the first game and the second game being assigned a predetermined number of in-game achievement points;

tracking player activity to capture occurrences of said system achievements and said predetermined in-game achievements, wherein at least a portion of the occurrences of said system achievements or said predetermined in-game achievements are tracked during game play by a console configured to execute the first game and the second game;

aggregating the occurrences of said system achievements and said predetermined in-game achievements during game play into a profile associated with a user, wherein the portion of the occurrences tracked during game play by the console are aggregated by the console;

aggregating said predetermined number of system achievement points and said predetermined number of in-game achievement points into said profile;

maintaining an aggregate number of points for said profile, the aggregate number of points being calculated from at least a first number of in-game achievement points achieved by the user by playing the first game, a second number of system achievement points achieved by the user by playing the first game, a third number of in-game achievement points achieved by the user by playing the second game, and a fourth number of system achievement points achieved by the user by playing the second game; and

publishing said profile, wherein the profile is accessible via a user interface of a networked computer system, and wherein the user interface executes independently from a game.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein said aggregate number of points is a weighted valued based on a total number of points available.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein said number of in-game achievement points for a specified game is determined in accordance with a difficulty of said specified game.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein said maximum number of points is fixed for all games.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the profile includes information that identifies said aggregate number of points in said user interface.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein said profile includes at least one of a trophy, title, description, date, screen snapshot and media captured when a player earned said in-game achievement.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the user profile includes one or more user settable game preferences.

19. A system for providing game achievements in a gaming environment, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium operatively coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage medium comprising;

instructions for determining, from information that defines how achievements are earned in a video game, that a user earned an individual achievement while playing the video game, achievements including in-game achievements and system achievements, wherein each of the system achievements is achievable via game play in each of a plurality of system achievement eligible games associated with the gaming environment, and wherein each of the system achievements is associated with a predetermined number of system achievement points for each of the system achievement eligible games, in-game achievements being obtained by completing an in-game goal and the in-game achievement being associated with text describing the achievement and an image, wherein the in-game achievements associated with a first game of the plurality of system achievement eligible games are not achievable via game play of a second game of the plurality of system achievement eligible games, each of the in-game achievements of the first game and the second game being assigned a corresponding predetermined number of in-game achievement points;

instructions for displaying an icon associated with the individual achievement while the videogame is executing; and

instructions for storing information indicating that the user earned the individual achievement in a user profile for the user, the information including an aggregate number of points for said profile, the aggregate number of points being calculated from at least a first number of in-game achievement points achieved by the user by playing the first game, a second number of system achievement points achieved by the user by playing the first game, a third number of in-game achievement points achieved by the user by playing the second game, and a fourth number of system achievement points achieved by the user by playing the second game,

wherein the first game has a corresponding first maximum number of total points, and the second game has a corresponding second maximum number of total points, and

the predetermined number of system achievement points for at least one of the system achievements is the same for the first game and the second game, and comprises a different proportion of the first maximum number than of the second maximum number.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions for determining that the user earned an individual system achievement.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions for viewing the profile.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions for transmitting information indicating that the user earned the at least one system achievement to a service provider.